The present invention relates generally to education, and more particularly to considering a student""s concentration level in teaching the student through a computer.
Both at home and in schools, the computer is gradually becoming a major medium for education. There are many different reasons for this trend. One is the tremendous reduction in the price of a computer, causing it to permeate into almost every household. Though the price of a computer has been dropping, its computation and memory capacity have increased many folds, leading to computer programs with significantly more intelligence and improved user-friendliness. Another reason is that a computer-aided-education system can be very personalized; it can be tailored to the strengths and weaknesses of individual students. This is very hard to achieve in today""s educational environment, in part due to the increase in the students-per-instructor ratio.
One weakness of a computer-aided-educational system is that it typically ignores a student""s concentration level. In contrast, a good instructor teaches according to the student""s attention span. She can sense whether or not the student is paying attention. Normally, she attributes her sensitivity to her xe2x80x9cintuition,xe2x80x9d based on years of her teaching experience. One xe2x80x9cintuitionxe2x80x9d is that when the student""s pupils start to dilate, the student has lost focus. Another xe2x80x9cintuitionxe2x80x9d is that when the student frowns, he is concentrating. Such xe2x80x9cintuitionxe2x80x9d is very useful in teaching. A good instructor constantly observes such concentration-sensitive behavior, and dynamically adjusts her teaching materials and style accordingly. If most of the students are looking elsewhere instead of at her for a certain period of time, the instructor might stop teaching and tell a joke. This helps the students re-focus back at the instructor. If a student is drooping, the instructor might directly ask her a question to xe2x80x9cwake her up.xe2x80x9d Such important xe2x80x9cintuitionxe2x80x9d is missing in today""s computer-aided-educational systems.
It should be apparent from the foregoing that there is a need for a computer-aided-educational system and method that consider the student""s concentration level, while the student is working on the study-materials.
The present invention provides a computer-aided-educational system and method that automatically consider a student""s concentration-sensitive behavior while the student is working on the study materials.
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a presenter, a non-intrusive sensor, a controller and an indicator. The presenter presents study materials on a subject to the student; the non-intrusive sensor automatically monitors more than once the student""s concentration-sensitive behavior while the student is working on the materials; the controller analyzes the student""s concentration-sensitive behavior based on one or more rules; and the indicator provides an indication on the student""s concentration level based on the analysis. In another embodiment, the present invention reacts according to the indication.
There are a number of examples of the concentration-sensitive behavior that the sensor can monitor. In one embodiment, the sensor monitors the student""s volitional behavior, such as his inputs into the computer, his facial expressions, his facial orientations and his eves. In another embodiment, the sensor monitors the student""s involuntary behavior, such as the sizes of his pupils.
The controller analyzes one or more of the above behavior based on one or more rules. These rules are similar to the instructor""s xe2x80x9cintuition.xe2x80x9d For example, one rule is as follows: The student has lost concentration in the study materials if for a predetermined period of time, the student""s inputs through a mouse have been in a window that does not contain study materials. Another rule is that if the student is not looking at the monitor showing the study materials for a predetermined period of time, the student has lost concentration in the study materials. From the analysis, the system provides an indication on the student""s concentration level.
Based on the indication, the system could react accordingly. Different reactions are applicable. Some examples include rewards, punishments, stimulation, and changing the study materials.
In another embodiment, due to the indication, the system asks the student a question, which can stimulate the student and can assess the student""s understanding level in the study materials. From the student""s response to the question, the system may change to more appropriate study materials and/or presentation style.
The question-asking approach in the above embodiment does not have to be a reaction to the indication. In one embodiment, as the system is presenting study materials to the student, unexpected by the student, the system asks the student a question. After the student responds to the question, the system resumes back to present study materials to the student. In such an embodiment, the question tends to increase the concentration level of the student in the study materials.
In yet another embodiment, the present invention also includes a calibrator, which calibrates the student""s concentration-sensitive behavior before the behavior is being monitored to show concentration. One type of calibration establishes the student""s behavior when the student is paying attention, and compares it with the student""s behavior when the student is working on the study materials. Calibration typically improves the accuracy of the system.
Other aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, which, when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrates by way of example the principles of the invention.